This invention relates to a grapple attachment for application to a skid steer, small tractor, or other form or construction implement.
There are numerous tractor attachments that have been available in the prior art. Some of them even include grapple means, for use for picking up rock, or other debris. For example, there are attachments for skid steer loader buckets, and rock blocking attachments, as can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. D686,250.
A construction bucket that includes a bucket, in addition to an attachable blade, that is hydraulically operated for the movement of dirt, and the like, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,446.
An apparatus for on-site cleaning for landscape rock can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,962. A device that is mounted onto the front of loaders or tractors and for use for picking up and separating rock, by use of the reel type of sweep, can be seen in the U.S. patent to Buysse, U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,953.
A back hoe attachment for skid steer loader, and which can be used for digging dirt, and the like, can be seen in the U.S. patent to Foster, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,124.
A cylinder-type ground-raking attachment for a bucket-equipped tractor can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,732, to Baskett.
The Pat. No. RE. 33,198, to Ballinger, shows a strata rock bucket.
A rotary rock picker that incorporates a fork and reel assembly, and a stone bucket, can be seen in the U.S. patent to Malinowski, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,818.
A convertible bucket attachment that is capable of excavation and clasping of debris or other ground materials, can be seen in the United States patent to Ogawa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,866.
There are many commercial uses of existing rock buckets that are on the market. These usually do attach to skid steer units, tractor front loaders, and even some wheel loaders. Some even include some clamp-type grapples, but many of them do not. The clamp-type grapple will help secure rocks and other debris within its associated bucket.
A Remlinger Manufacturing Company, Inc., of Kalida, Ohio, has a tine rock bucket for attachment to a skid steer, but the grapple type means for aiding in the loading of the formed bucket simply functions as a sweep, and through its pivot, helps to push rocks onto the associated bucket. It includes a singular pivot of its rake for attempting to move rocks onto its bucket tines.
A company named Loftness, has marketed a commercial-agricultural rock picker for skid steers and bidirectional tractors. This device also has a singular pivot rake-type mechanism for pushing rocks, boulders, and other debris onto its bucket.
Another product of the Loftness Specialized Equipment Company, of Hector, Minn., is a skid steer attachment that attempts to dig into the soil beneath the rocks in order to attempt to achieve their pickup.
Another company by the name of Blue Diamond Attachments, of Knoxville, Tenn., shows a bucket with a singular pivot grapple means that attempts to hold the rocks and debris onto the bucket, once the bucket has dug underneath the rocks in preparation for their loading.
Horst Welding, of Listowel, Ontario, Canada, builds and markets a conventional rock bucket that has an optional hydraulic reel that rakes usually small rocks into the implements bucket. These are examples of the commercial type products that are available, and which are for the pickup of rocks and other debris, some of which incorporate sweep arms, or reel sweeps, for attempting to load smaller rocks onto their buckets.
This is all shown in the prior art.